Roanoke, VA – A Roanoke man who posed as professional baseball prospect using burner phones and scammed multiple women has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison, prosecutors announced.
Janike Dunbar Holt, 29, also known by several aliases including “Nike” and “Janike Tagovailoa,” pleaded guilty to failure to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and making false statements to law enforcement.
Court records show Holt was convicted in 2018 in North Carolina of three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child after engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old. Following his release, Holt initially complied with registration requirements but failed to report a change of address in June 2022.
From 2022 into 2023, Holt engaged in a series of schemes involving multiple women. He lied about having a child, solicited money under false pretenses, and stole thousands of dollars from victims. In one case, Holt wrote stolen checks totaling over $300,000, including one marked “lawsuit refund.” While those checks were never cashed, he attempted to convince others to deposit them on his behalf.
Holt also fabricated claims that he had been recruited by Major and Minor League Baseball, sending fake text messages from burner phones while impersonating team officials. Prosecutors said he convinced some victims to sell vehicles and turn over the proceeds, believing they would soon relocate due to his supposed career.
In February 2023, Holt moved to Roanoke but never registered as a sex offender. He was arrested on March 14, 2023, on a North Carolina warrant. During questioning, he lied to federal authorities about his residence, travel, and probation status.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia.
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Key Points
- Janike Dunbar Holt, 29, sentenced to 41 months in prison.
- Convicted sex offender failed to register after moving to Virginia.
- Ran multiple scams, impersonating baseball officials and stealing money from victims.
Holt’s deception spanned states, but federal charges have now brought it to an end.
